Within Riches
by pitfalls
Summary: 17 year old Bella has just moved to London, forced to find a husband in the Kings Court. Little does she know, she has caught the eye of the most influential person there: the King himself! But trouble's brewing...
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone!

This is my second twi fic, the first one is an Alice/Jasper one which i wrote about a year ago. Just to clear up any misunderstandings, this is set in the past (if it isn't obvious), and is a Bella/Edwards fic.

Well then enjoy, and remember to review at the end!

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><p>Bella frantically started to pull out the sharp grips pinning back her soft brown hair, trying to bite back tears. <em>How could Lady Rosalie have said that to her?<em> Bella had only been at court for _two days_; hardly enough to have done anything to warrant that kind of planned embarrassment. She tugged out another grip, allowing long strands of hair to cascade over her shoulders and hide the delicate jeweled cross that hung beneath her pale collarbones.

Her hair sufficiently destroyed, she started to work on her dress, shrugging out of the red embroidered gown that she had begged and begged her parents to buy for so long. She didn't even regret her decision to leave the ball half way through – all she wanted to do now was to soak away her frustration in a warm bath and try to forget the mortification. Her eyes started to burn, and little choked back sobs escaped from her painted mouth as she futilely tried to undo her corset. Arms aching from the stretch, she pulled on the intricate ribbon for another minute, but to no avail.

'A-Alice!' She aimed for a normal voice, but the sound that came out was cracked and verged on hysteria. Tears escaped from her eyes, much to her horror, and dripped down her blushed cheeks just as the maid walked in.

Alice's eyes grew wide as she took in her Lady, and she scurried over, embracing Bella in an unexpected hug. It was crucial nobody found out about their informal, friendly relationship or Bella's father would fire her immediately, but in this case it was worth the risk to provide a bit of comfort for her friend.

'Miss Bella, what's wrong?' Alice murmured gently into the top of Bella's head, sounding concerned.

Bella didn't answer the question, but shook her head instead. 'Please help me out of the corset. I just need a bath.' Embarrassed, she wiped her eyes with the heels of her hands, willing the tears to stop as Alice hurriedly stepped behind her to start undoing the knots that she had accidentally created. Bella just stood there, willing herself not to cry. The words kept echoing in her mind like a broken record.

'_We all know the only reason you're here is to get into Jacob's breeches, you dirty little slut.'_

Finally, Alice was able to unlace the corset, and pull the rest of Bella's clothes off her, leading her kindly to the steamy porcelain tub. She tentatively dipped in a slim foot, before judging it a suitable temperature and following suit with her body. Alice drew the flimsy lace curtain across, thinking it would be best to give her Lady some space. As Bella's body acclimatized to the temperature, she found herself replaying the evening's events in her mind, trying to work out what she had done so wrong.

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><p>Bella and Alice stepped out of the carriage, quite thankful to be out of the small jolting space and finally be able to walk on solid ground. They were acting as proper maid and Lady here, as Bella's father was due to meet them inside the manor – their whispered expectations had come to an abrupt halt the same time as the carriage had.<p>

Bella's dress was a creamy blue, encrusted with tiny sapphires and pearls which each individually reflected the sunlight, and her trademark silver cross dipped low into the neckline – she looked beautiful, and the only indication of traveling miles to London was the barely noticeable grey beneath her eyes.

They had come to the King's court in the hope of Bella finding a suitable (meaning rich) husband to wed– her father was looking forward to the dowry he would receive and was eager to relieve himself of his seventeen year old daughter. Bella's position was not exactly low: her father was looked on in high regard in court, and their had been rumors of a certain Lord James, a sixty something extremely wealthy old man, taking an interest in a portrait of Bella – the reason why only now they had undertaken the journey.

Bella had breathlessly walked up the never ending gravel path to the huge house itself, trying to take in the beauty of the gardens and front of the manor, but failing miserably – the land was just too spacious to get a feel for with only one glance. They had been given a room, and Alice had unpacked her chests, while Bella lounged on the bed reading a book, the two of them discussing what to wear for the upcoming ball.

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><p>Light lit up the vast expanse, a million lamps glowing like stars dotting the walls and ceiling. The décor was rich, extravagant and seemed to scream <em>'I cost thousands and I don't care.'<em> The whole place reeked of wealth and upper class, with delicate food and infinitive drink available. Music flowed freely, caressing the vivid onlookers of the dancing, the musicians being paid more for this night than they would earn in a year. Ladies twirled on the marble dance floor, fabric of every texture, colour and pattern billowing out like sails on a ship, supported by tuxedo outfitted men as they danced for what seemed like hours.

Unbeknownst to her, Bella herself had caught the eyes of more than a few males, her beautiful intricate updo and smooth pale skin complimenting her deep red ball gown. All in all, the King certainly knew how to throw a ball. Bella had heard rumours of King Edward, after all he _was_ the leading monarch of England, but had yet to see the supposedly gorgeous royal. He was set to make an appearance later on in the ball, to oversee how it was going.

'Hey Bells!'

A voice startled Bella out of her inner musings as fingers tapped her back. She whired round, her dress spinning lazily out into a circle, to come face to face with her childhood best friend. He looked so much older than the last time she had seen him, although remnants of the old Jacob shone through his adult appearance. Her eyes took in his creamy, coffee coloured skin and beautifully warm, teasing brown eyes, before she beamed up at him and replied.

'Jake! I haven't seen you in years!' Bella exclaimed, a smile lighting up her face: it was true, the last time they had met was when they were both twelve, and still secretly climbing the trees on her father's estate. He grinned wolfishly, extending a hand in a silent request to dance.

'I know, I know. Do you still have that scar on your knee from when you fell? I've always wondered, since the last time i saw you, you were crying at the prospect of it scarring forever.'

They moved on to the dance floor, intermingling with the other dancing couples.

'Yes, yes, It's no longer so noticeable though. How have you been? Found a wife yet?' She asked him cheekily.

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><p>Haha, what a bad place to leave off.<p>

If you have any questions, just pop them into a review and I will answer them.

I just wanted to put this up and get people's opinions about, to see if I should continue it or not.

What do you think?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Everyone who has very kindly reviewed, followed and favourited: thank you so much. I can't tell you how much your support means to me, and I love to know which bits you liked/how you found the story! **

I really should have got this out sooner, but I've been so busy! The reason for the long break? I was revising for my GCSE's, and decided to forgo ff until I had finished. (I did really well by the way, so it worked!)

Small Q: Should I keep the vampire theme or discard? I think the story could benefit either way, but I'd like to know what my readers think.

Thanks and enjoy~

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

He looked down at her fondly, a small smile crossing his face.

'No, but there's someone I have my eye on.'

For some unknown reason that she refused to explore further, Bella felt her face heat up with his words. Thankfully, he had glanced away so she had a moment to battle it back down and try to respond normally.

He beat her to it.

'I see you still have that annoying tendency to ask annoying questions.' He teased, breaking the silence and lifting her up so her feet just left the floor, turning, and gracefully placing her down again as part of the dance. Bella laughed under her breath, trying to regain her sense of balance. 'Annoying questions for an annoying person.' She mumbled to the floor, a grin spreading across her face as she heard his mock gasp of outrage.

It was like with that insult she had broken the barrier that time had erected, and soon conversation was flowing freely. They continued their talking and dancing for the best part of an hour, time flying by as the two caught up on each other's lives.

Pretty soon, Bella was out of breath from the constant twirling/laughing and they retired to a nearby table to watch the other dancers.

Everyone seemed so refined and coordinated, especially the ladies – not one foot was out of line, or one person behind the violin tempo. Bella was slightly envious of the careless gracefulness in which all of the dancers exhibited. It had taken her months and months to wrestle with her inherent clumsiness and practice to a point where it no longer took her whole concentration not to trip over or tread on her partner's feet. Still, she was glad she had worked so hard; twirling and side-stepping was kind of fun when you weren't inflicting pain on someone with every move.

As she and Jacob continued their conversation about how they had found themselves to be there, Bella let her eyes cast lazily around the room. It took her a while to notice, but after a while it became apparent that most of the men were focusing in on one of the dancers – a stunning blonde in a sharply low cutting blue dress. It was easy to see why she was attracting so much attention. Not only was she probably the prettiest girl Bella had ever seen, but her dancing was completely fluid and flawless, her white teeth flashing mesmerizingly every time she smiled. She seemed to be attracting the same amount of attention from the ladies, if their painstakingly envious smiles were any indication, and their increasingly extravagant flourishes whilst dancing.

'Earth to Bella,' Jacob's warm hand encircled her fingertips and gave a light squeeze before dropping back down to his lap as society dictated. She gave a small jump, startled, before her face slid into a sheepish smile.

'Sorry I was distracted watching–'

'Lady Rosalie? Yeah, I noticed.' He cut in wryly, raising his eyebrows. 'Along with half the room.'

'You know her?' Bella asked, wondering how Jacob knew her name and if she was the one he 'had his eye on'.

'I know _of _her. She's pretty famous here in court, y'know.'

'Really? I've never heard of her before.' Bella wondered.

'You must have had your head in a bucket for the past two years,' He allowed a teasing grin at her mock offense. 'The Lady Rosalie is know _very_ well for being the leader of the Edward groupies. She's aiming for Queen, according to reputable sources. Well, that's what she tells everyone, anyway.' With this he tapped the side of his nose and winked.

Bella turned back to watch Rosalie dance, a little bit confused about Jacob's way of talking about her. Maybe Jacob didn't want her after all…?

Usually, blatantly proclaiming that you were trying to seduce the King would result in gossips and snide whispers which would eventually reach high enough up so that you'd end up being politely snubbed and loose any chance of even greeting Edward. In Rosalie's case, though, it almost seemed daringly possible. Every movement of her eye-catching cerulean dress was designed to attract attention and keep it there. It wouldn't surprise Bella if the King had already chosen her – after all, he _was _due to find a wife before his 19th birthday which was only four or five months away.

Tearing her eyes away and back to Jacob, she opened her mouth to inquire, but before she could speak a word she was interrupted. The punches of trumpets blared out, signaling the King's arrival and instantly reducing the volume of the guests to quiet, eager murmurs and bringing the dancing to a halt. It wasn't exactly rare that the King participated in social events, but according to the older ladies back at Bella's home, every time people saw him it was like the first. A good quality to have in a King, she thought amusedly.

Honestly, Bella was a little bit excited to see him, even though she'd told herself time and time again that he was just a person, just like any of them.

Albeit with a lot richer with a lot more power over people's lives.

Inside her head she tittered nervously. Yeah, a lot like everyone else.

Who knew – he could just be a snotty, spoiled man who wasn't worth the fuss and liked to lord it over people as much as he could (which was a lot). On the other hand, he could live up to the stories Bella had heard of him her whole life…but it was hard to imagine a creature so perfect as the one she had been told about growing up. Almost like she'd positioned him as God in her head, and now she was afraid to dispel such an innocent thought which she'd brought over with her from childhood.

The trumpets finished their commendable solo, and the whole of the party waited with bated breath, staring up at the top of the stairs where the King and his group would make their entrance. Two figures appeared first - the royal guards filed in, smirking at each other, resplendent in the royal uniform, before the King himself strolled into view, pausing for a few moments at the top step.

Bella knew this was utterly cliché, but it felt like someone had just punched her in the stomach; for a second she couldn't breathe and she could feel a blush creeping onto her cheeks. Well, she'd head the rumours – she knew he was handsome…but not _this_ perfect. Nobody could be this perfect. She watched, holding her breath as he lazily ran a slender hand through his tousled bronze hair, his bored amber eyes lazily scanning the room before resting on her.


End file.
